Keeper of the Graves
by Readrbug21
Summary: Whatever happened to Danny Phantom after a great war between the Ghost Zone and Earth? A young ghost is sent to help the Keeper, and the Keeper tells the story of the famous halfa while having a secret all his own. Slightly AU.


He sighed in an aggravated way. He didn't see what all the harm was, really. He had just wanted to see some of the people he left behind, that's all. Was that a crime? _Apparently it is now,_ he thought to himself as he floated along slowly. He wasn't even extremely sure of where he was going; he only knew the general direction.

He was still grumbling to himself when he noticed the tall, floating stone pillars, marking the entranceway to the Ghost Graveyard and his destination. The wrought iron gates between the pillars were rusty, and looked almost like they were tired of protecting such a burden. He raised a translucent hand to knock, but before his knuckles hit the gate, it swung open with a groan to allow him entrance. He swallowed before floating hesitantly in. He cleared his throat, then asked, "Um, Keeper? I'm here to see the, uh, Keeper of the Graves?"

He looked around nervously, half expecting someone to jump up behind him and scare him half to death. _Well, figuratively speaking, since I'm already _dead, he thought before chuckling. He looked around him again, and saw an old ghost coming towards him. Even from a distance, he could tell that the ghost was aged considerably. Hunched over and carrying a wooden stick, he floated unhurriedly. The closer he got, the more details could be filled in: his hair was white, almost transparent, and time had kneaded many wrinkles into his face. There was a scar on one side of his face, running in a jagged line across his cheek. It wasn't extremely noticeable, but the young boy could tell that it once had been a prominent feature.

Despite all the clear signs he was aging, the Keeper's eyes were still very vibrant, and very unusual. They still looked very young, and the boy could have sworn that they changed colors, from green to blue to green again. "Um, are you the…the Keeper of the Graves?"

The older ghost sighed a little, and turned to cast a tired gaze over the myriad of tombstones. He answered in a weary, slow voice, "Yes. I am the Keeper of the Graves. You must be the young man sent to replace me," he paused to look at the boy, and when the boy nodded, the Keeper went on. "Walk with me. We have much to cover, and little time to cover it in. What's your name?"

Falling into step with the Keeper, he answered, "My name is Danny."

The Keeper paused and looked at Danny, his eyebrow raised questioningly, but said nothing about his name. Starting to walk again, he asked, "So, Danny. You seem very young to be sent to replace me. I was expecting someone a little older. You must have done something very, very bad."

Danny sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah. It's just, I was missing them, you know?"

The Keeper looked thoughtful. "You mean, you were missing those on the other side? The ones you left behind?"

"Yeah. My friends, and my family. All I wanted to do was see them again. Is that too much to ask?" He looked at the man walking beside him, but the Keeper said nothing. "Anyway, I ran up to the Divide, at the place I came through, and it was wonderful. I could see everything, and it was just like I remembered it, and then people I knew started walking by," Danny wore a smile, reminiscing about the people he loved, but it soon turned into a frown when he remembered what came next. "But just as I was about to reach a hand out to touch them, to let them know I was still there, thinking about them and loving them, some guard came up, grabbed me, threw me into a holding cell, and, well, one thing led to another and here I am. I think the guards thought I was a danger to the Ghost Zone or something."

The Keeper nodded, then smiled a small smile. "Yes, that would be enough to make you the new Keeper of the Graves. The Divide is very important to-"

"-maintaining the integrity of the Ghost Zone," Danny finished simultaneously with the Keeper. "I've been told that a thousand times, but I just don't see the importance of it. I mean, why can't we visit the other world? We used to live there, didn't we? What's so dangerous about crossing the line?"

The older man frowned slightly. "You will know, in time." He sighed. "Not many young ghosts understand the Divide, mostly because none were around when it was built, and therefore don't remember the causes, only the effect." The Keeper shook his head and smiled again. "Let's talk about something a bit more jovial. The mysteries of the Divide can be explained later. It's making me very sad, and despite what everyone thinks, I like being happy more than I do being miserable. Come, I see a tombstone with a history I know."

* * *

They spent the next few hours visiting various graves. The Keeper told the history of each grave; some histories were only a few sentences long, others lasting thirty minutes or more, but each tombstone had something to tell.

When they came to the next grave, the Keeper began his history in his slow, slightly weary voice. "The ghost who is buried here was named Skulker. He wanted to be known as the Ghost Zone's greatest hunter, and the only way he could do that was to defeat the halfa, Danny Phantom." The Keeper paused, and he gazed out past the tombstone, lost in thought.

Danny waited for the Keeper to go on, and when he didn't, Danny asked the obvious question. "Did he?"

The Keeper blinked, and turned to look at Danny. "Hmm?"

"Did he ever defeat Danny Phantom?"

The Keeper smiled. "No, although he tried many, many times. He was never quite skillful enough to capture the famous halfa."

"How did he end up here?"

"He lived before the time of the Divide, as did many of the ghosts in this area. He was brought here by the Great War." Both the Keeper and Danny were silent for a minute, thinking about the somber subject that had been brought up. "Do you know how ghosts come to finally rest, Danny?"

"Well, sure. Doesn't everyone? You can, uh, rest, after you complete your work. Like, after you finish your unfinished business."

Nodding, the Keeper said, "Yes, that's the most convenient way to come to rest. But there's another way to get here, too. You see, the Ghost Zone can only have so many ghosts at one time, and when a large group of people on Earth die and become ghosts, ghosts that were already in the Ghost Zone begin to die too. They fade away to make room for all the new occupants. During the Great War, many, many people died, and many ghosts were harmed and were brought back to the Ghost Zone to heal. But the Ghost Zone couldn't handle all the ghosts that were suddenly there, and several of the sick and wounded ghosts began to fade away, as well as many older ghosts. Do you see how large this graveyard is, Danny?" The Keeper swept his arm in an arc around him. "Before the Great War, this graveyard was about a third of the size it is now."

The Keeper fell silent to let that fact sink in before he began moving on to another grave. "This is in remembrance of Johnny 13. You remember the tombstone I showed you marked Kitty?"

Danny nodded.

"Well, this was her boyfriend. He always rode a motorcycle, which helped him travel across the Ghost Zone and Earth much faster. It also housed his friend, Shadow. Shadow wasn't really a ghost in his own right; he was more like a pet." The Keeper chuckled.

Danny failed to see what was so humorous, especially since he had just been talking about a war. "What's so funny about a pet?"

"Nothing, really. I was thinking about how Johnny 13 and Kitty were usually after Danny Phantom, too. In fact, most ghosts were."

"Who is Danny Phantom, anyway? He's been mentioned in almost every story about all these ghosts."

Raising his eyebrows, the Keeper asked, "You mean you don't know who Danny Phantom is? I didn't think it was possible. Hmp. Well, then, we'd better move toward the center of the graveyard. There's a statue of him there."

They floated in between rows upon rows of hovering tombstones until they reached a large statue. Dark gray, it stood approximately seven feet tall, and featured a near perfect replica of Danny Phantom. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his legs were firm and straight, protruding from the massive base. The artist had carved a serious expression, and it looked for all the world as if the halfa was looking out over the graves, protecting the ghosts for eternity.

"Wow," Danny breathed out, looking up in amazement at the statue.

The Keeper looked up too, analyzing the piece in respect. "Yes, that's the reaction of many who see this particular monument. It's quite impressive, isn't it?"

Danny nodded, still gazing at the sculpture.

Tearing his eyes away, the Keeper looked at Danny before continuing. "He didn't really look like that, you know. He was much shorter, and his hair was white. He almost never looked like that, actually, but he did take his powers- and the responsibilities that came with them- very seriously. He did his best to keep peace between the worlds, and to protect the inhabitants of both. He was only part ghost- that's what 'halfa' means. Half ghost, half human. There are precious few of those, but he was probably the only one who used his powers the way they should be used."

Danny had stood open mouthed for most of this speech. Was this ghost really suggesting what he thought he was? "Wait, wait, wait. Let's backtrack. Are you saying you actually _knew_ Danny Phantom? But he lived practically-" Danny had to stop to glance at the dates on the base and do some rudimentary math before continuing, "300 years ago! That would make you, you…" He trailed off, unable to fathom it.

The Keeper smiled. "Yes, I know, I'm very, very old. Isn't that why they sent someone along to take my job? It's time for me to pass on, and let someone else take my place in the Ghost Zone. Besides, I miss my family and friends, who went on years ago. But enough of my complaining. You need to know this story, because it's perhaps the most important of them all."

Danny, to his credit, was taking this all fairly well. He knew ghosts lived much longer than humans, but 300 years was still incredibly, incredibly _long_. The Keeper looked out, not really seeing anything, and Danny tried to do the same, keeping his line of vision above the headstones but not focused on anything in particular.

"Many years ago, an incident occurred in the other world. A young boy named Danny Fenton was with his friends in his parents' lab. His parents were experts on ghosts, or so they liked to think. They had built a portal to the Ghost Zone, but they couldn't get it to work quite right. One day, Danny went inside and it accidentally turned on. There was a bright flash of light, and ectoplasm was infused into Danny's DNA. He became a halfa.

"He spent the next few years of his life trying to adjust to his powers and use them correctly. He had some pretty bad fights, and he battled some of the worst ghosts ever to exist, including Pariah Dark, Vlad Plasmius, and his worst enemy, a future malevolent version of his ghost side, Danny Phantom. Despite all these obstacles, Phantom did very well. He learned to control his powers, and to use them to protect the ones he loved.

"However, one day, Plasmius- who was always trying to beat Phantom and get him to join his side- made the worst mistake possible. He, too, had a portal to the Ghost Zone, and he left it open one day. Whether he did this purposefully or not, no one will ever know, but many ghosts began crossing back to Earth. This wouldn't have been so bad, if the ghosts were all harmless, as most of them were. But a very powerful ghost came through that day, and he unleashed his power over the world. He brought his minions over, and created a giant rift between Earth and the Ghost Zone, where anyone could cross over to either zone at any time. This was the start of the Great War."

As Danny was listening, he noticed a slight change in the Keeper's voice. The farther into the story he went, the less he was aware of Danny and his surroundings, and he seemed to be lost in the story and in memories.

"When Danny Phantom heard about what was happening, he knew it was up to him to stop this menace so that ghosts and humans alike could be safe. He found several ghosts to fight with him, his friends, his family, and a ghost hunter named Valerie. Skulker, Ember, Kitty and Johnny, even Plasmius helped him fight back. They were on the losing side and they knew it, but they still kept fighting. Yes, they still kept fighting. They had to, or they'd lose everything they knew and loved.

"Then the worst happened. Sam and Tucker were killed, along with Jazz, Valerie…everyone he loved. Phantom went crazy. He had so much rage that it nearly killed him, and that's what it took to win. He let the rage control him, and that was the key to defeating the ghost that had destroyed so many peoples' lives. He decided there wasn't anything left for him on Earth, so he rounded up all the ghosts that hadn't passed on during the war and took them back to the Ghost Zone. He created the Divide to prevent something this destructive from ever happening again. Then…then he disappeared."

Danny was entranced by the story, and was so lost in thought he didn't notice the Keeper had stopped talking until a nagging thought made itself known. "Who are those people you mentioned?"

Looking like he had been woken from a deep sleep, the Keeper jerked back to reality. "What?"

"Those people. I think their names were Sam, and Tucker? Who were they?"

"Oh. Those people. They were Danny Fenton's- and Phantom's- best friends. They helped him through everything. Jazz was his sister, a real pain sometimes but otherwise bearable. He loved them all, and he never got over the pain of their deaths. He disappeared because he was afraid that if he didn't, whoever he came to care about would be taken away from him like the others were, so it was safer to never talk to anyone. He never really regretted this decision."

Both were silent, thinking. Danny looked up to gaze at the statue's face, this time with much more respect and understanding. His eye caught on something on one of the cheeks. The first time looking at it, he had thought it was a crack in the stone, an imperfection that had been brought on by time. Looking at it now, though, he realized it was as much a part of the face as the emblem carved into the chest. A jagged line ran across the cheek, a freshly made scar. His eyebrows scrunched together as he tried to remember why that looked familiar. _Where have I seen that before?_

"You talk like you knew him firsthand," Danny commented, watching the Keeper's face intently.

Smiling, the Keeper replied, "You could say that. I'd like to think I knew him better than anyone did."

When the Keeper wasn't smiling it wasn't that noticeable, but when he smiled, the scar on his cheek became more obvious, and a revelation hit Danny in the face like a plasma blast. Danny gaped. "Your name's not the Keeper, is it?"

The Keeper began laughing, and as he did so, ghostly layers of age began peeling away, transforming the elderly specter before Danny into that of a much, much younger and familiar body. His laugh transformed with him, becoming much more solid and hearty, and when he finally stopped laughing and looked at Danny, a chill went through his body.

The younger version of the Keeper began glowing and flickering, and even though Danny had never seen a ghost when it faded away, he knew beyond doubt that was what was happening right now. "What's going on?"

"I meant it when I said I missed my family and friends. I've been away from them for far too long. It's time for me to go. I've been lonely for a long time."

Even though he knew it, Danny asked anyway, "What's your real name?"

Before the Keeper could answer, a soft, feminine voice rang out through the graveyard. "Tuck! I think I see him! _Tuck!_ It's Danny!"

Closing his eyes and smiling widely, the Keeper said, "Hold on, Sam! I'm coming!" Slowly opening his eyes, he looked at Danny. "My name? Why, it's Danny Phantom." When he said that, the Keeper faded slowly away, finally disappearing forever with a look of bliss on his face.

The young ghost stood still, watching the spot where the last Keeper had just been for several hours before slowly walking around the graves, repeating each story to himself.

* * *

Eh, the ending's so-so, but overall I really liked this story. I enjoyed writing it, and I think it turned out rather well, if I do say so myself.

I had been toying with this story idea for, well, a few months. I decided that since school's starting in (oh my goodness!) a week, I should at least publish _one_ story this summer, lol.

I hope that this has been kind of unique, and that the ending was a surprise. If it's similar to any other DP fic, my apologies to that author. However, I've not read anything like it, so I feel I'm safe. :)

Anywho, I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Love,

Sami


End file.
